We need to decide once and for all the role of a student

In the story the title links to a high school student in my home state of Illinois was reprimanded for a breach in multiculturalism. The school had a group of Mexican students orchestrating a celebration day of Mexican Independence day. Part of the celebration involved taking down the American flag, raising the Mexican flag and then all were to stand while the Mexican national anthem was played.

One young man determined not to stand during the playing of the anthem and school officals have reprimanded him and sent him to the school office. He gives a reason that seems unusual to me - that it might interfere with his joining the military in the near future. Whatever his reasons, there seems to be in this country a growing trend of calling some things freedom of expression and other things they call wrong. If the expression is against the US or against christianity, it is upheld as freedom of expression. If it is against causes that tend to be supported by liberals it is no longer freedom of expression, it is wrong. I would be interested in whether the ACLU would issue a statement in this. Since no real punishment seems to have been given, there is probably no legal action available.

I should note that I am as multicultural as any, yet by my interest and by my choice. My point is that our schools are for learning. We pay more than enough taxes to give our students the best education in the world, yet we seem to allow so many distractions it is a wonder students have time to learn. Students if they have the right cause are encouraged to express themselves by school system. Teachers add their own topics they wish to instruct the students in that goes beyond academics and again if it is the right topics it is encouraged, otherwise discouraged or punished. Then the school curriculum itself is loaded with social indoctrination designed to steer the thinking of students according to their agenda.


I ask for consistency. While my preference is to limit a school to real academic pursuits, if they want to go beyond that then be consistent. Don't praise one kid for wearing a "Bush Sucks" shirt and then reprimand another for not standing during the Mexican national anthem.